Commentary from a New York Times bestselling author on the business and life of writing for a living--everything from money and motivation, to plagiarism and writer's block.
(See also http://www.michaelabanks.com)

Monday, September 29, 2008

Creating Wealth Books

Hey--what happens to all the "creating wealth" books, now that the system on which they feed is crashing?

The authors will do okay; unlike the people who read their books, they at least have produced something tangible for a return. But most of the readers of most of these books (a majority of a majority, yes) aren't going to rake in shit, because they are trying to do as the books tell them to do: get paid without producing shit, without even thinking. (Hm ... they're not even thinking.) And people will continue buying them until the inertia of hope runs out.

Without apologies--I've heard too many self-styled "entrepreneurs" claiming they're going to make a fortune through smoke, mirrors, and bullshit. (Most of them tap trust funds.) They actually believed this gravy train would continue forever. They might as well try talking to the dead.

When the aforementioned inertia of hope is gone, I think we'll see an upsurge in self-help books as those who were coasting along on fantasies desperately seek a new magic trick.

About Me

(CONTACT: bookrevs@aol.com)
A fulltime writer for the past 28 years, I've written several dozen books, among them On the Way to the Web; Blogging Heroes;, the New York Times bestseller Crosley; Before Oprah: Ruth Lyons, the Woman Who Created Talk TV; and a few science fiction novels.
Forthcoming are a tell-all about Internet "interaction," a biography of Earl Muntz (who invented auto stereo), and computing titles.
I've done quite a bit of editing, including acquisitions for Baen Books and serving as Associate Editor or New Destinies.